Gundam 06 Mirage
by Silver Cateyes
Summary: (Used to be Pilot 06 Mirage) There's a new pilot in town- what are the G-boys to do? Come on, read it, the story's good, even if the idea is slightly over done. Eventual 1x2, established 3x4 to start, OC, semiAU, attempted NCS in the far future.
1. A New Player In The Game

**Pilot 06- Code name: Mirage** **By Silver Cateyes**

**Notes- READ THEM!!!**

Disclaimers: OC! OC! OC! And _no_, not that stupid teenage soap opera! I have a darling OC of mine who is kinda the star of this series, though of course the others feature big. She will have a rather big impact on all and sundry, and will severely alter- if not demolish- the timeline. If you want to know any more, read the fic! (And this fic _will_ actually have a plot!)

The only things I truly own in this fic are my darling girl and the plot. And any other OCs I come up with... they're mine! Mine! MIIIINNNNE! Mwa ha ha ha! Ahem... Er, anyway, everything else is not mine. If you're want to sue, please pick a target who will give you more than cat-hair, crumbs, and old romance novels. Pick a rich girl who can afford to have a team of lawyers fry your ass for coming after her.

There will be violence here- this is, after all, a war-fic, though pretty AU-ish. This includes deaths, battles, some abuse, and rather bloody brawls. As for the AU bit, I introduce this during a random bit from the war (_way_ TWT), and take it off into my own imagination from there.

My language in here is a bit rougher then I usually use. And that's putting it politely. To be frank, I should probably be washing this fic out with soap. Not to mention my brain, because this is how I tend to _think_. Welcome to the insane, logic-less, limitless wilderness known as my reality.

YAOI will be here, as will threesomes. Little or no yuri, but at least one major het relationship. Lemon/lime amounts will depend on the studio audience (you).

There is also a scene, pretty far down the line, which has attempted NCS. This is NonConsensual Sex, and that means RAPE, people! Though it doesn't succeed, and the rapers get _exactly_ what they deserve in the end... heh, heh, heh... Yeah, I'm evil- but that might be Catclaws. She's escaped her closet again, so I can't tell where she might come up.

You should know the drill- if you couldn't understand what I just said, don't like what I just said, or are under legal age and your _parents_ don't like what I just said, please leave. I don't want to be flamed 'cause you (or your parents) don't know what you're getting into. If you feel you simply _must_ discover definitions to the warnings, or offend yourself (for some reason unknown to sanity), or defy the tyrants that are your parents, please do so elsewhere. I really don't want to deal with hysterical parents claiming that I'm 'corrupting' their babies.

Please Do Not Flame Me. I don't like flames, think flamers themselves are barely half a step up from Cro-Magnons, and have a variety of creative uses for flames that I receive. You have been warned.

Lastly, several segments, chapters, and events might really just be excuses to torture various characters, but they are usually important to the plot, so please bear with them. (And they're so _freaking_ _funny!_)

**Chapter One:**

**A New Player In The Game**

Duo focused his attention on the people entering the cell where they were holding him and his partner. The lineup was not encouraging. Most of them were large, bulky, and had obviously ignored OZ's regulations regarding steroid abuse. Their purpose was rather obvious, but their movements were not coordinated enough to make them a real menace- both he and Heero could withstand a beating from them.

It was their leader that was worrying. He was clean-shaven, with slicked back hair and an oily expression, as well as shifty eyes that darted around the cell. His every move screamed 'Politician! Toady! Ambitious ladder climber!' Meaning he could and would do anything to achieve his goals- and not give a shit about the well being of anyone who might help him, so long as they could still provide that help. He was the one to watch out for.

Duo felt Heero tense against the chains that were holding them in the chairs where they had been shoved. How the hell had they gotten into this, anyway?! There shouldn't have been an OZ patrol anywhere _near_ where they were headed- but for some reason there had been, and they had been ready for the appearance of Gundam pilots.

Duo and Heero had been in the woods due to a cryptic message from Doctor J. Apparently there was a possible ally they needed to meet. J had given very little information about this ally, apart from a code phrase that they could recognize each other from. The exact phrasing he had used regarding the new man had been 'another number.' Actually, J's tone in the e-mail had been rather put out about the guy who they were supposed to meet in general, possibly _because_ he didn't have any information on him. J's pride demanded he appear all knowing of all things, and he got distinctly pissy when he couldn't live up to this. Though J pissed was better then J in a good mood. The man's sense of humor was even more warped then Duo's.

Duo had spent most of the hike to the meeting place trying to get a reaction from Heero by coming up with as many wild speculations about the new guy as he could. Among the more lurid ideas were an alien from Mars who sympathized with them, an underground mob boss who wanted to make a 'business deal,' and a rich noble man who wanted to recruit a harem of gorgeous boys. Actually, there _might_ have been a reaction to this last one, but that was when they had walked strait into the sedation gas spray from the Ozzies, and any reaction had been hidden in the shock and attempt to regroup. Damn. He'd been trying to get a reaction, _any_ reaction from Heero for so long... Another reason to hate OZ. At least the Gundams were hidden in safe places, so there was little or no chance of OZ getting their hands on them. Of course, this meant they would need some transportation when they got free...

Slimy Politician cleared his throat in a huge racking cough of phlegm, calling wandering attentions back to the here and now. Duo, always believing that the best defense was a good offensive remark (second was a fabulous hiding place) didn't let this pass. "You swallow a bottle of the hair gel you use on that rug, or is it just the flu season?"

Slimy turned a light pink, but several of the muscles behind him had to work to keep their chuckles muffled. So the 'gang leader' wasn't all that popular...

"You're not in any place to criticize another's fashion choices, pilot." Marks to Slimy, he was keeping his voice even. "I'll be frank." Yeah, right. Always take a second, third, and fourth look at anything a piece of shit like this said. Street life might not have been cozy, but it sure as hell made you a good judge of character... which gave the added benefit of knowing exactly what to say to raise a person's blood pressure. "Your lives are worth only the information you can give us. We don't care what happens to you, what people do to you, or what your fate is. This _can_ change, if you give the right information to the right people. If you want to keep anything even vaguely resembling a life, talk."

Hmmm. More interesting dynamics... some of the muscle was looking smug, but the rest of it was looking like the only thing they wanted to pound was Slimy's sense of ethics. Huh. So some of the guards had morals after all. Will wonders never cease. Duo opened his mouth to reply, something along the lines of the fact that the oil he was using had apparently seeped into his brain if he thought that they were going to tell him anything, but before he could start the phrase there was a knock at the door.

Now, this was a dungeon. It might have taken on the modern name of 'prison,' or 'holding blocks,' or something else more politically correct, but it was still a dungeon.

You do not knock on dungeon doors.

If what's behind them is a prisoner, you barge in.

If what's behind them is your own, like an office, you walk in.

If what's behind them is above your level, you avoid that door at all costs.

You do not knock on dungeon doors. _Especially_ not in a polite, soft tapping that was more suited to checking to see if the person in the bedroom was awake.

Whoever was on the other side of the door apparently didn't know this.

The effect of this small action was nearly enough to cause Duo to burst out laughing, but he controlled the urge. Laughing would draw unwanted- and probably hostile- attention to himself, and he wanted no more bruises then strictly necessary.

Slimy had been completely thrown off his groove. He no longer looked even slightly menacing, or powerful, or anything likely to compel information from reluctant captives. He now bore a far greater resemblance to a stunned eel. After quickly pulled himself together, he told one of the brutes to open the door and see who was interrupting this intimidation/information session. From his face, the person was about to be grilled on a spit- if they were very lucky.

The man who strode over was one of the ones who seemed to dislike Slimy. He looked almost gleeful at this interruption, like opening the door was going to be a singular pleasure.

The girl on the other side of that opening door was as out of place in this pit as her knock had been. She was _short_, only slightly taller then Quatre- and that was in a pair of _very_ high heels. Her figure was curvy but slender, and dressed in a showy uniform, with a tight skirt to her lower thighs. Her uniform jacket was decorated in braiding, which meant that she reported to someone fairly high ranking. Her boots blatantly valued style over function, with those spiked heels- and the tops almost reached her knees. Her expression, looks, attitude, and burdens only enhanced this impression. Her hair was jet black, loose, and fell longer then Duo's braid- past the tops of those boots. _Not_ practical in a fight, which was one of the reasons Duo had _his_ braid. Her eyes were light green, and had a wide-eyed innocent look that would've done any Disney animator proud. Completing the image of 'office girl,' one of her hands cradled a folder, and the other was clasped around a briefcase handle. All in all she looked like she should be following after some General, playing tag along girl and gopher. Everything about her screamed that this dungeon was not the place for her. And the image was too complete; it was impossible for Slimy to do anything to chastise her; she'd obviously been sent here by someone else. An important someone else, by the looks of things.

"Yes?" he not-quite snapped, motioning for the girl to come in.

"Please, sir," she said, holding out the folder, "General Fox needs you to sign these." Even her _voice_ didn't belong! Voices in cells were bellows, moans, screams, or threats. Hers was medium pitched, and it gave the instant impression of a shy schoolgirl asking her teacher a question. As she spoke, she minced across the cell to stand in front of Slimy, still offering the folder to him. She now stood between Slimy's gang and the two prisoners, with her back to the two in chains, as Slimy tried to decide if papers from General Fox were important enough to interrupt a 'meeting.' It was a little late; the mere presence of the girl had interrupted already.

"When you get back to him, tell Fox that he should give me papers at our _meetings_, not whenever he finds them," he finally growled, taking the folder.

"Yes, sir," was the meek reply. She looked down, studying her shoes, as Slimy sighed and opened the folder, with the muscles looking at it with interest. The pilots couldn't glean anything from a glimpse of the papers, though- the girl was standing in their line of sight.

Which was very fortunate.

As the folder came open, the girl slid her hand under her hair and hit something. Only the pilots saw the movement, as she was facing the gang. The goons couldn't see much of anything, anyway, because at the movement, the folder let off a blast of blinding white light. Slimy and the goons had all been looking right at it- they were instantly blinded. The girl had been looking down- and had been in the line of sight for the two prisoners. They were the only three who could see clearly. This let Duo and Heero see- and gape over- what happened next.

The instant the flash faded, the girl was moving. She whirled through the men in front of her, chopping, kicking, and dodging their clumsy swings- they knew they were being attacked by now, but were too blind to hit their attacker. In 10 seconds, the only three conscious in the room were Heero, Duo, and the girl.

And she wasn't done with her surprises yet. As the last man fell (and as the two in the chairs gaped in shock, or at least, their versions of it) she turned to the pilots. "The alphabet teachers say hello," she said cheerfully.

The looks of stunned confusion on Duo and Heero's faces got deeper, if that was possible. That had been the code phrase that the new 'guy' had been supposed to give. Their new ally was a _girl_?!? And what was she doing here?

"Who are you and what are you doing here?"

Typical Heero, go right to the heart of the problem, then beat, shoot, or blow the crap out of it 'til there _wasn't_ a problem. The girl seemed to think the first question sensible, and the second stupid. As she answered, she knelt by Slimy and started patting through his pockets, looking for something.

"My name's Rae Carrow, hi, nice to meetcha. I already know who you are. And as for the second question, that should be rather obvious. I'm helping you get out of here. Ah!" Rae stood up, holding a key ring that had formally been in Slimy's possession. "I love it when they're stupid! Hold still for a moment, I'll get you out of the chains. Then you'll have to put on the uniforms."

"Uniforms?" demanded Duo. "What uniforms?"

"The OZ uniforms in the briefcase. This facility has several levels- after we get out of the dungeons, there's an area that is mainly for high-class recreation, and then the MS bays. I've got transport out of there, but we need to _reach_ there without an alarm going off. Hence, the uniforms."

"Still not getting it," Duo griped as she started checking the keys for one that fit his locks. Heero wasn't responding. Rae went into further detail.

"The base is too big to blast out off. If we bulled our way through, they would have enough warning and time to call in reinforcements to cut off any retreat routes. So- no alarms are to be triggered, meaning we need disguises. In about 10 minutes, two OZ guardsmen are going to escort a female prisoner up to one of the Generals for her own interrogation session. This will get us past the checkpoints and into the higher class areas." Duo's chains fell apart as Rae found the right key. She tossed him a very uncomfortable looking uniform and moved on to Heero, still talking. "Once in the higher class areas, we pull another costume switch and make it to the bays. Once we're there, we can grab my ride and haul ass out of here. Questions?"

"Why are you helping us?" Heero's deadpan question came out as he accepted his own uniform from her.

Duo's attention had wandered towards the end of the explanation. It was currently occupied with the idea of Heero changing into the OZ uniform. And how Heero would look in the OZ uniform pants. And all the fantasies those boots called to mind.... _Fantasize after we get out!_ He ordered his mind and refocused on Rae's answer.

"What, you don't know?" Rae looked genuinely startled. But then, her acting skills had already been proved. "Oh..." her face suddenly relaxed. She actually looked more exasperated then anything. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised. The Docs and the Lady don't like each other much, so they tend to hide info bits from each other to feel superior. And my mentor, Lady A, has some especially large pet peeves about J. So of course she wouldn't mention the little fact that she's got a sixth Gundam pilot."

(x)(x)(x)(x)(x)

A/N: Well? Comments? Criticisms? Encouragement? Reviews, pleeeease!

I'll tell you this, though: nothing said here about Rae's looks was true, except for her height and general shape. So don't be put off by the longhaired sweetheart look- it was 100 percent bullshit. And I will do my best to avoid the trap of having everything go perfectly for my character. She _will_ have problems that she'll have to deal with, just like everyone else.

Again, about Rae's looks- you won't find out what she _really_ looks like until the fourth or fifth chapter. Bwhaha! Oh- and everyone with a sense of humor needs to be around when she meets pilots 03, 04, and 05. Be prepared!


	2. Escape, Stage One: Dungeons

Hello! ::waves:: Thank you Archer for reviewing.

A message to everyone reading: this quick update is due to the fact that I have written more then one chapter before uploading. Future updates will have about a week in between them, and even if _this_ story isn't updated, SOMETHING of mine will be updated at least once a week. Okay, on with the story!

**Chapter Two:**

**Escape: Stage One- Dungeons**

Rae buried her grin at the looks she got from the other two at her pronouncement. Maybe A had the right way of things after all. Besides being able to get pictures of their faces like this (thanks to a hidden micro-cam in the braids), she had a very distinct advantage over them. She knew them and what they could do. They didn't know her.

Or what she could do.

Duo Maxwell, the boy to the right with a braid that bounced off his upper thighs, was Pilot 02 of Gundam Deathsythe Hell, from the L2 colonies. His skills were pretty varied, but mainly had to do with mechanics and dexterity- he was an master thief and could pick any lock, given enough time, not to mention sneak past most forms of security. He was also an expert on various explosive devices, as well as just about anything mechanical. Lastly, and almost incongruently, he was one of the best MS pilots in existence. None of the Gundam pilots _weren't_ good in any of these areas- they all could sneak, break and enter, make a bomb, and pilot their suits with nearly unmatched skill. But Duo was considered the best among them.

And to the left, Heero Yuy. The look on his face, though partially hidden by his messy bangs, was more stony then anything, but shock could still be read there. He was the flyer of Gundam Wing Zero- Pilot 01, the best known of the pilots. A specialty of his was demolition: knowing how to get into a building and knock it down on his way out. He and Duo were often partnered for this. Yuy decided where the bombs were needed, and how strong they'd have to be, then Maxwell made them. Together, they would infiltrate and set them up, then off.

His other skills included personal strategy and combat- he could come up with a viable plan for himself from almost anything, and was nearly unbeatable in both rifle and hand-to-hand combat. The two things that truly made the legends among OZ troops, however, were his superhuman strength/reflexes, and his skill with a computer. He had been known to bend or break steel with his bare hands, and the reflexes gave him very high advantages in most fights. But on a computer, there was no system that wouldn't eventually admit him. Few could even detect him. He was an electronic phantom, a ghost in cyberspace.

But they didn't know anything about her. Oooooh... fun opportunities. But those would be for later. At the moment, both boys were beginning to shake off the shock off the announcement, which was just as well. They still needed to get through the base, and being stunned speechless wasn't conducive to getting out whole and undetected.

Heero was now looking at her in his version of open suspicion. "How do we know you're telling the truth?" he demanded.

Please. And Yuy was supposed to be one of the smart ones. "If I wasn't, I would be asking questions, and not volunteering my own information. I also wouldn't know about petty rivalries in the mentors. I wouldn't know that you would have broken out of those chains sometime in the next ten minutes, with Duo out in five thanks to his picks. I'm just here to make the escape easier on all of us. It'll be a lot more nerve-racking to OZ if Gundam Pilots 01 and 02 disappear without a trace.

"Further point: if I was a fake, how would I know your numbers? You've hacked their data before- you know all they have on you is the visuals of the five Gundams.

"Besides all that, you getting any better offers?"

Duo blinked, then started to chortle. "I think she won the argument, Heero." Heero just glared. Rae smirked. Point to the female.

"Now, you two face that wall and put on your uniforms, and I'll face this one and change my own. When you turn around, there will be one helpless female prisoner for you to escort." One presto-chango coming up... this should be good for more shocked faces. Rae's hands worked all on their own, transforming her while her mind wandered over her new... teammates. These two were an interesting pair. Almost completely opposite, according to their psyche profiles, yet they fit so perfectly. And, given time, maybe in more ways then one.

If the looks that Maxwell had hidden when Heero had picked up his uniform meant anything.

But how did Yuy feel about that? That would be an answer probably requiring skilled torture to extract, given what the file on him had said. Tension in a team was not a good thing, especially in this business. Something to keep an eye on, then.

Rae packed the remnants of her original costume into the brief case, then stood up. "You boys done yet?" she called over her shoulder.

"Yes." Yuy should win the Olympic gold medal for brevity, Rae thought as she turned around.

This time, she didn't even try to hide her grin at the looks of shock. Well, Maxwell's look of shock. Yuy had apparently reached his quota of shock for the day, and stopped responding to it. And, all modesty aside, they had very good reason to look stunned.

The person before them only resembled the girl who had originally entered the cell in two ways: her basic proportions, and the briefcase she carried. Other then that, there was no resemblance. Instead of a waterfall of silky black hair, there were filthy brunette tangles to mid-back. The neat uniform had been transformed into filthy rags that resembled what had once been a skirt and blouse. Dirt and filth had been smudged liberally over all exposed skin, and once immaculate nails were now caked and filthy. Her feet were bare, both adding to her image as a prisoner and subtracting several inches off her height- she now stood no higher then Heero's shoulder. And lastly, the green eyes of the schoolgirl were now a dull, flat brown. The only two things that kept them from seeing only a prisoner were the pixy smile she still wore, and the briefcase- which she handed off to Heero.

"How- how did you-?" Duo choked out. The pilots looked very different, too, though not nearly as much as Rae. Neat uniforms covered untidy civilian cloths, and lent authority to their otherwise young faces. Their hair had been tucked up beneath their hats- too many people had seen either the long braid or messy bangs on the way in, and had heard who wore them. At least she wasn't dealing with total disguise newbies, then.

"A tattered cloth around my waist, a change of shirts, removing the boots and wig, changing contacts, and making good use of the fact that no one had cleaned this place since Before Colony," Rae listed, not mentioning the micro-cam transferred to her shoulder. She quickly stooped over, picking up a discarded set of handcuffs and their key from the floor. A prisoner needed chains, after all.

As she fastened the cuffs onto her wrists, Duo lost his stunned look and began to laugh. "We need to introduce you to Trowa. You two can trade spy-tips and discuss the merits of one ruse over another!" Ah, yes. Trowa Barton. Pilot 03 of Gundam Heavyarms. An anomaly among the others- a last minute replacement. And yet, he had been far more successful then anyone had ever imagined the original choice might have been. He was a master chameleon, able to infiltrate almost any group. Nearly as stony as Yuy, but he had managed to open up to another person. The file had been quite clear on that. It had also mentioned a very strong affinity for animals, and a strength in acrobatics. Useful talents. Hell, with this job, anything was a useful talent.

Rae finished locking the cuffs down, and slipped the key underneath them. "Okay," she said, looking up at her 'escorts.' "The first guard station is around the corner, then there are two more on the way up to exit. Once we get out, there's a side hall about 200 ft. down the main corridor. It was originally part of a new wing for visitors, but it got shut down before it was completed. The end result is that there's a pair of public restrooms down there that are hardly ever used. We can use them for the next costume change. Questions?"

Duo raised a hand. "Where do my socks go when I put them in the dryer?"

"Smartass. Any questions that are even vaguely related to sanity?" When this query went unanswered, Rae stepped up between then two males. "Right. Let's go."

Give the two credit, they knew how to play guards. The grips on her arms certainly weren't gentle. Schooling her face into a look of blank despair, Rae let her thoughts wander over the two men who were currently hauling her down a prison hallway. They both certainly had masks, expertly maintained ones. Unsurprising- everyone had masks. Teenagers especially- and these were teenagers accustomed to betrayal and loss. Teenagers trained for it.

Yuy's was obvious- blank steel. An ice shield. Nothing gets let in, and no emotion was allowed out. Very, very tough, and almost impossible to penetrate. But in many ways, Maxwell's shield was much tougher. It was also far more dangerous. With Yuy's shield, it was fairly obvious it _was_ a shield. Everyone knew, instinctively, that something _had_ to be behind it. But Maxwell's shield was that of a smile and a laugh. Very few would realize there was anything _but_ the shield, and fewer would be able to get past it. If that kept up, he could become nothing more than what his shield claimed he was.

Mask of a soldier, mask of a jester. Two such complete opposites, and yet...

Her thoughts remained on her two escorts as they past the check point, giving her eyes a far away, drifting look. The guards at the checkpoint asked no questions- they knew that look, had seen it before. Generally in the eyes of a prisoner who had been 'interrogated' one too many times. A prisoner who would snap soon. Rae didn't notice the looks of mingled fear and pity they gave her- her mind was still on the thoughts that gave her the look in the first place.

The masks weren't a danger, yet. They might never be, if the two managed to connect- and, from what Rae could tell, it was very possible. But how would their trainers react? Especially J, who had trained Yuy specifically to be emotionless.

Actually, that answer was easy. He would throw the mother of all fits.

Rae had a very distinct advantage over the other pilots. Lady A had gotten all the information about each of them from their respective sponsors. Their skills, their training, their psyche profiles, their basic backgrounds- at least as far as the scientists knew them- and what their Gundams could do, were all known to her. The arrogant idiots masquerading as trained professionals had mistaken A's interest in their protégés for envy, and had sent her all their information on them.

To quote the Lady- "Getting what you want is easy. You trick some schmuck into giving it to you. This is especially easy if said schmuck is male." Her opinion of the Doctors was never quite what one might call 'complimentary.'

The point was, Rae already knew what it had taken them months to discover: that each of them was very capable, very dedicated, and very deadly- in their own ways. But they knew nothing about her. They didn't know her own special skills- and there were a few. They didn't know where she came from, which was just as well. She had no intention of _ever_ letting _that_ out. They didn't know her reactions, her training, or her fighting style. They weren't even sure of her loyalty and dedication to the mission. This would be a learning experience for all concerned.

Hopefully, everyone would survive it.

During her musings, Heero and Duo had hauled her past the second two checkpoints. They had asked no more questions then the first one. Seeing a prisoner hauled out for questioning was as common and as regular as the change in the guard. As the group neared the stairs leading out, Rae shook her thoughts out and murmured instructions to the side hallway they wanted. "The corridor is to the left, just past the door marked 'office supplies.' What the soldiers really keep in there is everything you're not supposed to find in barracks. The officers know about it, but they turn a blind eye for a percentage of the pay." Rae snorted softly as the reached the top of the stairs. "Why the Hell do they call these people 'nobility.'" It wasn't a question, or a statement, but something in between. Both men heard the cynicism in it. Heero marked it as information, and Duo wondered at the story behind it. But neither one would ask anything- that would require opening their own masks.

No one noticed them slip into the side hallway, and once there they were free from watching eyes. Rae straitened up and fished the key to her manacles out. "We can't take too long, someone will check that room soon. Be out in ten, at the most." Rae snatched the briefcase form Heero and started for the Women's room. "Just rip all the military braiding and decoration off your uniforms- they'll look like suits, then. _My_ change is gonna need to be a little more extensive." With that, the door swung close on her.

Duo and Heero looked at each other- and headed for the Men's room for their costume transformation.

#(#(#(#(#(#)#)#)#)#)#

Well? Like it? Love it? Hate it? I need feedback to live...

Hee hee... you still don't know what Rae looks like... Anyone care to guess? And what do you think of her character so far? I'm honestly trying to give her issues and a personality NOT MY OWN. I'm working very hard to let her be herself, and not some little avatar of me. How'm I doing?


	3. Escape, Stage Two: Dragons

Aww... no reviews... I'm sad... (and with my emotions, sad turns quickly to mad... beware). Anyway, I'm sorry for the long update break- my church had a weekend retreat, and I couldn't get back until late Sunday night. Sorry everyone! I also apologize if the site erasing my stars when there's a scene change (or a sound effect) caused any confusion. I think I fixed that this chapter. And I know that the chapter titles for these two are a cheap laugh, but I couldn't resist.

Anyway, here's chapter three!

**Chapter Three:  
Escape: Stage Two- Dragons**

When Duo and Heero entered the bathroom, their first act was to lock the door behind them. No matter how private this particular room was supposed to be, they were both far too used to having a mission screwed by a fluke to take chances.

That being taken care of, they started to follow instructions regarding their uniforms. It turned out that the various decorations were sewn on very loosely. Far more loosely then they would be on regulation uniforms, Heero suspected. He didn't need to start the conversation regarding their unexpected ally- and he hadn't anticipated he would have to.

"What do you think, Heero? Rather nasty trick the Docs played- not to mention that Lady of hers. It's just not nice to spring a shock like that on a guy, especially when information is so important to our jobs! I mean, what do we send Trowa out for? I thought it was _my_ job to play the nasty tricks." The chatter nearly drowned the question it had started off with, but Heero needed no help in hearing it. He and Duo had been partners long enough for Heero could read the layers of 02's chatter without help- though some levels and meanings were still a mystery to him.

"Chances of an OZ trick still exist, but are small. Either they have far more information on us then previously suspected, or she's real."

"And of her? So far, she's the best at short-term infiltration I've ever seen. I mean, Trowa's good, but he goes for the long haul. And her sneak skills can't be that bad, not if she got into the hanger. It was so full of people on our way in that it looked like some type of convention was being held. I mean, what kind of convention could they hold at an army base?"

Heero was so used to repressing his emotions, especially around Duo, that he instantly shoved down the stab of jealousy that boiled up. He didn't own Duo. He didn't know if Duo thought of him as anything more then a friend. He didn't even know if Duo was gay or strait.

While he was busy controlling the impulses, his mouth answered Duo automatically. J had trained him to multitask, though probably not for quite this purpose. "The skills we've seen so far have all been very high level. However, we haven't seen a lot." There was nowhere to place the discarded braiding, so he wrapped it tightly and slid it up one of his sleeves. The discomfort of the scratchy material was negligible. With his chore done, he started for the door with Duo right behind him. His partner continued to talk, running through to his usual chatter.

"We don't even know what she looks like yet! For all we know, she could be a blonde knockout! All we know is that she can impersonate characters damn well, and claims to have a Gundam!" As this was spoken, they passed through the doors- and found someone waiting outside.

This... lady... was so far removed from who they had known so far that Pilots 01 and 02 both reached instinctively for their weapons before recognizing the pixie-grin.

"Impressive," Duo commented, looking at the change and relaxing.

"Thank you," Rae responded, flipping shoulder length blonde hair over her shoulder. Her eyes were now the crystal blue of the Caribbean Sea, and framed by perfect makeup and an immaculate face. The tight skirt from the schoolgirl uniform was back, but was topped by a black tank top instead of a uniform jacket. Her shoes were again spike heels, but those heels were attached to lace up sandals instead of the knee-high boots. The final touches were the glitters of diamonds at her neck and ears. This was no prisoner, and no schoolgirl, either.

"How'd you pull this one off!?" demanded Duo as he handed over his braiding.

"Pulled off the brunette wig, cleaned off the dirt, changed contacts, pulled off the tatters and put this shirt on, did my make up, attached the heels to the sandals before putting them on, and draped glass and crystal jewelry onto me," Rae listed off as she stuffed the braiding into the. "Okay, in this area, it's kind of a high class play ground- act used to it. You two act like young nobles, and I'll act like your lady. Got it?"

"Repeat that?" asked Duo after adjusting one of his cuffs.

Rae obliged. "This area is a den of corruption and decadency- act used to it. You two act like selfish rich young pricks, and I'll act like your high-class whore. Got it? Oh, and you take the briefcase," she added to Heero. He accepted it without comment, and the three turned to go.

Once they hit the main area, it became apparent that some type of party was going on; clumps of people started to appear around them. One would hail them, then another. Most groups were drunk, or high, or otherwise incapacitated, so it was fairly easy to get away from them.

Their positioning as they walked down the corridors was essentially the same as it had been in the prison: all of them in a row, Rae in the center and one of the males to either side. The main difference this time was that Rae was clinging to their arms and not the other way around. This let Rae steer the entire group without seeming to, while keeping most of their hands free in case of an emergency.

Rae kept herself from vomiting on the nearest noble's shoes only with very great self-control. She hid the _desire_ to do so only with very great acting skills.

God... she'd _never_ wanted to be in a place like this again. All the corruption, the infighting, the politics... These people were supposed to be the head of the government! And yet most of them only cared for their own comfort. The few who _didn't_ only cared for the amount of money in their bank accounts. She had yet to meet a single member of the class that she might really term as 'noble.' The vast majority fell under the label 'ignorant arrogant assholes,' and the rest fit in nicely under 'money grabbing sycophants.' Aristocrats- as a _breed _they were possibly the worst thing to happen to humanity.

And as for those in power- if anything, they were even _worse_ then those that they could see here. Arrogant, pitiless, moral-less bastards who would do anything to _keep_ that power, never mind what they did with it. And those who used that power mainly did so to cause pain and suffering to those beneath him. Miniature tyrants over their little kingdoms. Those who might have stopped them were suppressed, hidden, blackmailed into cooperation, or gotten rid of. And the circle went on.

None of these thoughts showed in anyway- not in her face, not in her body, not in her eyes. She had been trained since the age of five to hide her emotions and true thoughts in any situation. If the truth were to be told, it was as rare to see a her feelings in a public situation as it was to see Heero's; the only difference was that her mask wasn't an iron wall, but whatever character she was playing at that moment. It was only with people she trusted that any emotion found its way through her defenses.

Unfortunately, not all of the recreating upper class were entirely out of their wits. One of that number was heading their way now, and it was someone that Rae (unfortunately) knew.

What the fuck was Ommir Hyrat doing at a party for bored aristo-brats? He was a political player, not one of those who had brought bored decadency to an art form. No chance that he'd recognize her like this, but the man was freaking annoying, damnably sly, incredibly sadistic, and fucking perverted. And he was coming strait at them. Fucking bloody Hell.

The nobleman strolled up to the trio and raked his eyes over them haughtily, eventually resting them on Rae's face. "Hello," he drawled in a cultured voice while completely ignoring the other two males. "I don't believe we've met."

_Sure we have, you bastard, but you wouldn't believe it if I told you._ Not that she had any intention of telling him. Time to really play the part. Smiling and batting her eyelashes, Rae started in on the bullshit that was going to be needed to get them far, far away from the jackass.

"No, we haven't. These gentlemen are Nur Shiet (1) and Paar Bruunen (2). Nur's my cousin and Paar 'n I have been together for a year. We're on a touring trip together." Translated, she'd been paid by Paar/Duo for a year, and now she and Nur/Heero were doing their best to get the most from him while they could.

"I am Ommir Hyrat, my lady, but I'm afraid you neglected your own name in the introductions... ?" Translated- I don't give a damn about the males. I want to know you, as intimately as possible.

"Oh, dear, how silly. I'm Stral Krahe (3). What brings you here?"

"Oh, I originally had no intention of coming- it's pure chance I'm here. You see, I was in the area on a highly important task, and an incredibly _bright_ young lad managed to intercept a communication to those rabble pilots that have been terrorizing the population. It was entirely encoded, of course, and each section in a different code. _Diabolically_ clever, those scoundrels. But by chance, one of our boys managed to decode one section, and that section had the coordinates that they were going to. Our ambush took them almost without struggle, and as I was the highest ranking official in the area, I was called to oversee their capture and detainment."

During this conversation, Yuy and Maxwell had kept very still, allowing her to establish the basis of who and what they were. Maxwell wouldn't lie, of course, and Yuy couldn't do the lighthearted tourist to save his life. Bad phrasing- to save whatever the hell he wanted to save

But neither of them was going to let this little speech pass without comment, and Rae didn't blame them.

Heero raised an eyebrow. "They are in this building?"

"Yes," sighed Ommir. "The General here, Fox, I think he's called, was rather fanatically worried about it. He seemed to think that the security wasn't sufficient. I managed to calm him down, and one of his top men is questioning them as we speak."

"But all the stories...!" exclaimed Duo, widening his eyes. "I heard one of those pilots found a way to escape from Hyurit (4)! And they say they can bend steel with their bare hands and vanish like ghosts! They've been blamed for just about everything that's gone wrong, world wide, in the past year! And I hear there's proof that they aren't human, but super powered aliens sent to soften up humanity for a take over!"

"Exaggerated tales the troops circulate to soothe their fragile egos for their continual failure to apprehend this small handful of children," Ommir dismissed- but he was starting to look a little nervous. "So, what brings you here?"

"Chance, same as you," Duo answered comfortably. "We had no place in our trip plans for this." Rae actually had to work not to show high amusement at this. He most defiantly didn't lie- but that said nothing about misleading rather badly...

"How do you mean?" Ommir asked curiously.

"Our original trip wasn't to anything military," Rae explained cheerfully, jumping in. "Its sooo gloomy, don't you think? But our car broke down, and this was the closest spot that they could tow us too, so here we are!"

"How fortunate for me," Ommir began, starting to walk closer. But before he got more then a few steps, and aide came running up and hissed something in his ear. "What?" he demanded "How troublesome, (5)" he sighed before turning back to the three in front of him. "It seems that these fools can't handle the least little thing without my being here. I bid you adieu." He walked off, following the aide.

"Fucking arrogant asshole's got the brains of a retarded schizophrenic baboon who's been in a coma for a year," Rae muttered. "Come on, we've got to get out of here. This is probably the prelude to that ass finding out we're gone. He'll blame this place for having insufficient security, too." She began to move the boys rapidly through the crowd and towards a small door on one wall.

Duo let himself guided along, but when they reached the door he pulled the group to a stop. "These guys might be idiots, but they'll have collected data on us while we were here. And the Docs would go ballistic if that data remained intact. Since I'm of the firm belief that getting the people who assign you life threatening missions seriously pissed off at you is a bad thing, we've got a problem."

"Then aren't we lucky that there's a full computer console linked to the rest of the base in the garage so that the engineers can look up what they need to?" Rae asked sweetly. "You two wanna handle the data end of things while I work with the trucks?"

Heero didn't respond, merely walked through the door and went right for the nearest computer. Duo gave her a grin worthy of any evil imp. "Heero does the data stuff, I'm not as good. Whaddya want to do to the trucks?"

"You remember one Ommir Hyrat?"

"Arrogant, idiotic prick?"

"That's the one. His truck should be in here somewhere, and he's the type who will want to run the instant something goes wrong. So, with a few subtle adjustments..." Rae trailed off with a grin to match Duo's. At that instant, the two knew that if they weren't going to be kindred spirits, they were going to be very, very good friends. Her upbringing made her nearly as good at judging characters as Duo.

"Well, lets find the most tasteless thing here and do some damage to it!" cackled Duo.

The pair set off to do just that.

#(#(#(#(#(#)#)#)#)#)#

(1) Nur- only

(2) Paar- pair, Bruunen- well

(3) Stral- ray, Krahe- crow

(4) Hyurit- I made this up. It's like their version of Alcatraz.

(5) Any Naruto fans in the audience...?

Well, that's this chapter! And you STILL don't know what Rae looks like. Don't worry, you will next chapter. To get the names, I translated synonyms for their real names into German. Heero's last name I made up, though. Rae knows multiple languages- it's part of her past, which will come in later chapters. She also knows the bastard that she's talking to doesn't know those languages, so it's the quickest and safest way to get names.

Reviews! Reviews! You can never have too many reviews! ::holds out cookies and ice cream to tempt the readers::


	4. Escape, Stage Three: Out

Hello, hello, hello, to anyone who still cares about this story- it's been forever since I updated it. I've pretty much put it on hold for other fics, but I DO still update it occasionally. Before we start, I would like to clarify one thing: –Yadda- means thoughts. And, on with the fic!

(x)(x)(x)(x)(x)

Chapter Four:

Escape: Part Three- Out!

Duo snickered to himself as he and Rae worked on the various vehicles. You'd think high-ranking officials would be smart enough to ride in anonymous cars. But noooo, it seemed every highborn or political player here had their own customized wheels. Not that he was complaining- it made things a hell of a lot easier on him.

Rolling out from under the car, he raced back to the single jeep that Rae had tagged as 'theirs,' with a few key starting components in his hand. They'd probably never need these, but it never paid to toss away potential scrap parts. If nothing else, Howard could use them as ballast on that rust bucket of his.

His unexpected partner in crime had finished her half of the garage, and was now doing a little extra work on one specific vehicle. She'd gotten rid of the heels, and that was pretty much all he could tell about her appearance because she was more than halfway under the car she was working on. As he watched, she slid all the way under and apparently crawled out the other side. He let her work, and called over to Heero.

"Hey, 'Ro! Ya done yet?"

"Five more minutes of time needed."

"Yeah, yeah... ya think you could cut that down a bit? Cause I seriously doubt we're gonna have five minutes once they discover a certain empty room, which ought to be any second now..." Duo's voice trailed off as he walked around to where Heero was working. It was hot in the garage, and Heero had taken off both the uniform jacket that Rae had given him, and the shirt he'd had on under it.

It took Duo a full ten seconds to find his voice again.

"... and besides, we're about done on the trucks." Duo swallowed very carefully; his mouth seemed to have turned into a desert.

"...three minutes," was his only response.

Duo sighed and started back towards their jeep, unable to resist throwing one last look over his shoulder. It wasn't like Heero was watching, anyway...

But Rae was. She had finished her work on Ommir's car, and climbed into the driver's seat of the jeep in time to catch the end of that conversation. She also saw the look that Heero threw over his shoulder once Duo had looked back to what he was walking at. The one that lingered on the end of the braid, and the ass it was bouncing over.

Well, that answered the question about how Heero felt...

When Duo walked around to the other side of the jeep and hopped in, Rae was smiling smugly to herself and reaching for the briefcase. "What do ya want that for?" he asked curiously.

"To get rid of some of this ensemble," Rae replied, motioning to her still mainly complete costume. "It would be a really bad idea to have bits of glittering stuff hanging off me if it comes to a hide and sneak contest- they make fucking lovely targets."

Duo considered this as she pulled of the jewelry. "Good point. What about the rest of it?"

"Well, wearing make-up that's so thick it feels like my face will crack has never been something I really enjoy, and while having a wig on nicely confuses my identity, it'd be easier to run and fight without it. Also, the contacts have a tendency to make my eyes tear up if I wear them too long- and as helpful as that is when I'm playing a sweet little innocent girl, I really do not want that happening if some freaking bright Ozzie manages to get us into a gunfight. All in all, it's a better idea to get rid of most of this while there's a tiny bit of spare time than when we've got no time at all."

Duo watched in fascination as Rae pulled a bottle of some type of chemical from the case and rubbed it onto one of the rags that can always be found in a mechanical area. The rag was then vigorously applied to her face, removing every trace of make-up. Once Rae had put the rag into the briefcase- she wasn't going to leave anything that even smelled like her behind- she pulled out a small case that was made for the contacts. Removing them was an almighty pain, but it was good to have them off.

The final bit of her de-construction came with the removal of the blonde wig. Rae glared at it for a moment, but then stuffed it into the case after the contacts. Done, she turned to Duo, pixie-grin back on her face. "Well?" she drawled.

Duo sat back and looked. The girl in front of him wasn't like any of the three that he had seen during their trek through the base. Her eyes were large, and a shade that some would have called a light blue; but grey would be a better way to describe them. Her hair, which was cropped to a little longer than Heero's, and fell messily around her head very much like his bangs, was a deep shade of red.

Duo simply shook his head. "How can you play so many parts?"

Rae's grin simply widened. "It's not the clothes that make the woman, it's her accessories!" she chortled. "The idiots assign certain expectations and stereotypes to everything they see... I just play them up!"

Duo's grin faded as he remembered that they couldn't trust this person yet, couldn't take that risk. He instincts told him that she was no OZ plant, but there wasn't any proof- and it would take more than instincts to convince the rest of the pilots, and the Docs, that this lady was genuine.

Seeing that her companion's thoughts had turned serious, Rae glanced down at the tank top and skirt she still wore. They, unfortunately, would have to stay in place until this trio got back to her little hidey-hole, where she kept her main wardrobe. Ah, well. "Oh, Yuy," she sang out. "We've got maybe a minute of safety time left- are you done yet?"

"Yes." Heero was getting up from the terminal. Duo fought very hard to hide his disappointment when he saw that Heero had put his shirt back on. Pilot 01 strode over to the jeep and jumped in next to Duo; the back two seats were full of the pieces they had pulled out of the cars. That, and it was a very nice excuse sit with his thigh pressed against Duo's. "Why are you driving?" he demanded of Rae. Not that his body was complaining...

"Because I know where we're going. I have a safe-house near here where I've hidden my Gundam. Once we get there, you can catch a ride on her back to your current safe-house." Rae explained as she hot-wired the jeep in an efficient movement and pulled them out of the garage.

Heero was still very suspicious, but public wasn't the best place to air that suspicion. "They have very little security," was his only comment as they left the base through an open gate on their perimeter.

"Yup- they get a lot of aristo-brats, and the little ass-holes bitched about what a pain it was to leave for a bit of partying, and then get back from that partying. And since their mommies and daddies are the ones supplying the money for the place, and the generals need to suck-up major if they want to keep getting that money, they got their way. Makes things easier, on the whole," Rae chucked as they went down the road.

"... why aren't we hurrying?" asked Duo after a few minutes of driving. "We need to get back- the others will be out of their minds right now."

"Yeah, but punching the gas won't get us there faster. I don't have a driver's license, which is just idiotic considering my job, I don't look like I have a driver's license, which is suspicious, we've got what must look like a scrap-heap in the back seat, which can't be regular, and neither of you two are wearing the seat-belt, which is harder to see be still visible. Do really want to give any cop cars in the area more reasons to try and stop us?" -Besides,- Rae added silently, -you two seem to be in no hurry at all to end the time you can spend practically in each other's laps while still looking- she snuck a glance over at them -marginally innocent.-

Duo was pretending to look out the window while oogling Heero's profile, and Heero seemed to be clenching his fists far harder than warranted. He also seemed to be trying very hard not to drool. Both were too busy with their own activities to notice what the other was doing.

Rae shook her head. Men.

(x)(x)(x)(x)(x)

A/N: Well, that's another chapter... and you actually know what Rae looks like, now. Do you like it? I think I'm having WAY too much fun with Heero and Duo... :snicker: But they're soooo cute...! :ahem: And now, a thank you to the two reviewers, who both be getting ice cream and cookies in copious amounts!

Windy River:   
Thank you for reading and reviewing this- it was encouraging. Sorry that I couldn't update until now, but I hope you liked the new chapter!

gundam06serentiy:   
I could kiss you right now. THANK YOU SO MUCH for giving me such a positive review! I was feeling kind of discouraged about this story, since I loved it, but no one else seemed to. You made me grin for two days strait. I'm REALLY flattered that you love this so much. The idea for Lady A came pretty much because all of the Docs have different titles: 'Doctor,' 'Professor,' and so forth. And I thought they were being majorly sexist... I'm going to have a lot of fun with her, I think. I have several ideas in mind already. May I assume that your name comes from the amount of sixth Pilot fics you read? If not, ignore the comment. Thank you many times for saying that I was keeping the G-boys in character; I was kind of worried about Heero. And what kind of idiot would trust any crazy person claiming to be a Pilot? OZ has been more devious than that, and the Pilots have been TRAINED to be suspicious! I hope that I can see one of these fics, if only to give that author a dope-slap. Some people just deserve them. Sorry it's so short, but it'll stay that way for a while... and here's an update for you! Just for you, actually- you got me writing this again. :glom: Now, you can show your gratefulness by a) reviewing, b) putting up the next chapter of Vampires and Neko-jins, or c) all of the above. I'm kinda assuming that you got to this fic through my profile, which you got to from one of my reviews (which I'm alway glad to give to a good story), but update anyway. See ya then!

chibi luci:   
Thank you! You almost didn't make it onto my notes, because you reviewed so close to my update time. But you're here, and I'm greatful. Rae's past and her dealing with it is kinda going to be the underlying theme of the story, so it will be a long, long time before you know all. Muahaha. But I've dropped some clues already; think you can find them? See ya later! 

Let this be a lesson to all: The longer the review you write me, the longer a note you will get! Now, you see that little blue square button down there? The one that CANNOT be more that a foot from your little cursor, unless you have a freaking humongous computer? You WILL push it, and review, and make me very happy. Are we clear?


	5. Gadgets

Hi and hello, fans (what few of you there are...) and welcome of chapter 5. This is mainly character rambles and world building, but I hope you like it... because this is one of my favorite fics, and I'll snivel and cry and wail if you don't. Then I'll hunt you down and give you to my muses for chew toys.

Oh, did I mention that for all intents and purposes, this thing doesn't have a timeline? I'm going to be dragging in random events, like Quatre's Zero Craze after his father was killed, with no regard for proper order or relative timing to the war. Just thought I should mention that... and the little fact that the Pilots in my fic are a little older then they are in the series. They're all about 17 or 18 in my world- but everyone else stays the same age. Zechs is still 19, Treize is still 24, Cathrine is still 17. That's to help clear up some confusion that might occur otherwise. Anyway, happy reading!

**Chapter 5:  
Traveling**

Heero let the small bit of his mind that wasn't focused on every point of connection between him and Duo keep track of his surroundings. He then joined the rest of it in reveling in that contact. Duo was a very tactile person- he seemed unable to keep from casual touches, even around Heero. And Heero was finding it increasingly difficult to stop himself from leaning into and prolonging those touches.

But (aside from not knowing what Duo really thought of him as) he'd never learned any restraint, never learned any way to... water down or dilute his emotions. He either repressed them completely, or gave them free reign- and most of the feelings he'd let out from under his ruthless control had been violent ones. Anger, rage, battle-fury. He didn't know how to act with these new, gentler emotions- any they made up only a part of what he was feeling. The other part was pure, primal lust, which could all to easily turn violent. He was just as- if not more- worried about what might happen if he let that need run free.

And what he felt for Duo had been building for so long... Even if Duo _did_ return the feelings, if he let them go now, they might be _too_ strong. He might hurt Duo- and the braided pilot next to him didn't deserve to be hurt any more than this war had already hurt all of them.

If the feelings that he kept bottled up hurt him, then so be it. He'd been hurt before; he had lived then and he would live now. So Heero buried all the feelings as deep as he could- he'd keep them there for as long as he had to.

Heero stole another look at the gorgeous face that was currently so close to his- and willed those statements to be true.

(x)(x)(x)(x)(x)

Duo swallowed several times more than usual as their new... acquaintance (she wouldn't be an ally until the Docs proved her claim, and until she proved herself) drove them down the road. Far from being the desert wasteland his mouth had become in the garage, his saliva glands now seemed to be working at double their normal output. Heero had always had that effect on his body- he completely screwed up all of Duo's normal reactions. He simply couldn't stop himself; when he was around Heero, his body had a mind of his own.

Actually, mind had nothing to do with it.

But he had never seen or felt any reaction from Heero- not a glance, not a phrase, nothing. It had taken long enough to be accepted as a partner in their missions- how much longer would it take for Heero to accept him as anything else? If he ever did.

Duo sighed. He had been a street-rat, and was now a Gundam Pilot. He knew that you couldn't get everything you wanted. He knew that you couldn't even get everything you needed. But why, oh why did _Heero_ have to be something he wanted? Or needed. He wasn't quite sure which it was, now.

(x)(x)(x)(x)(x)

Rae couldn't decide whether she wanted to laugh at the two Pilots next to her or smack them. They were so obviously head over heels for each other (or possible head over cock; with teenagers it could be a very fine line), and so wrapped up in their own feelings that they couldn't see the others. And either the laugher _or_ the smack was likely to get her a gun in the face.

Leaving the dilemma for another day, she continued to drive. Finding a handy pair of sunglasses that a previous driver had left in the door pocket, she slipped them on. Anything and everything for a disguise...

Deciding that she'd given the two next to her enough time to drool over each other, she broke the silence. "The idiots at the base should know that you're gone by now- we'll be seeing attempts as pursuit pretty soon.

"Why attempts as pursuit?" Heero demanded, tearing his attention away from the figure in black pressed against his side. "I thought you and Duo disabled the trucks and cars?"

Rae heard the suspicion and accusation in his voice, and ignored it. In his position, she'd be just as if not more suspicious. "That we did, sweetheart. I'm talking Mobile Suits and any vehicles they didn't have in that garage. Of course, no OZ mobile suit is going to chance firing at a public highway, and will be moving far too fast for positive identification of a car on said highway. That leaves any spare vehicles."

Heero didn't answer- he was working through the idea of being called 'sweetheart.'

Duo glanced back at the assorted junk inhabiting the back seat (and firmly repressing any jealousy the 'sweetheart' comment caused). Not that he wasn't grateful for the assorted car parts, as they was the reason that Heero's thigh was currently pressed up against his, but... "Isn't that stuff a dead giveaway?"

Rae glanced over at him, pixie-grin curling over her face. "Yep- except for one thing. I spent a good deal of time before going down to find you two walking through that base to locate each and every last fucking vehicle that wasn't in the main garage- and I made use of a nifty little gadget that Lady A came up with on them. It's quite a lovely little piece actually. Wanna know what it does?"

Duo felt a grin start to stretch over his own face. Whatever it was, it should be good. "Enlighten us."

"Well, every car or truck needs fuel- yes?"

"Sounds about right."

"And fuel needs to be combustible to be usable- yes?"

"Dead on the money."

"Well, the 'little gadget' is something of a mini-time bomb. You shove it in through the fuel intake that every single vehicle _must_ have, unless you want to get the damned stuff in there by teleportation. Now, what the little thing is, in its purest form, is a bit of chemical surrounded by a protective skin. When that skin hits the liquid of the fuel- or any liquid, for that matter, depending on how you choose to make it- it starts to dissolve. Guess what happens when it finishes?"

"An explosion," Heero stated. It was the logical result of a fuel additive. Though it seemed rather messy and unnecessary to use on a public highway.

Rae favored him with an even wider grin then usual. "The ones I used will do just the opposite, actually. The chemical in the little balls I put into those tanks will render the fuel in them completely inert. Just so much sludge. Their engines are going to lock up, and leave them with a pretty much freaking useless few tons of metal that just happens to be shaped like a car or truck."

"Nice," commented Duo admiringly. "Is there anything else you can do with them? Or are they just fuel sabotage? 'Cause if they've just got that one use, then there's only so much you can do with them, and OZ would catch on sooner or later, 'cause they really aren't as dumb as we'd like them to be..."

Rae relaxed back into her seat, and warmed to her topic. "You can put just about any chemical you want in there, it can be an explosive, an oil-slick, a poison, a flash, a gas, a corrosive... you just have to adjust the chemical make-up of the covering so that it ain't soluble to what's inside it. We've also managed to hook them up to timers and remote detonators, so you don't necessarily need the outside solute to eat its way in. It's a really sweet set up- and pretty multi-purpose. I've used them before."

"Sounds great." Duo was going to say more, but Heero interrupted him.

"Cars approaching fast." He motioned to the rear-view mirror.

Looking over their shoulders, both Rae and Duo spotted several cars bearing military markings weaving through traffic a very high speeds, though the occupants were being sure to carefully scan each vehicle they passed.

Duo's grin widened to manic as he mentally reviewed the weapons he had on him (they had picked them up as they left the dungeons) and weighed them against the amount of cars approaching. It didn't look good...

Rae, on the other hand, just leaned back in her seat and studied the clock on their jeep's dashboard. "Three," she drawled, "two, one..."

Suddenly, one of the cars started to screech and swerve. The occupants were thrown forward as the car came to an unexpected and sudden stop. As the drivers and passengers of the other cars turned to try and see what had gone wrong with their fellow, a second car started having the same problem. One by one, every single car in pursuit came to a screeching, swerving halt.

Heero turned back to Rae, grudgingly impressed. "How did you know they timing on that?"

Rae shrugged. "I recognized one of the cars in that lot as one of the first cars I stuffed my lovely little bomb-balls into; I know how thick the skin on them was, and how long it would take to dissolve; and I knew how long it had been since I put it in. No fucking magic trick. But did you see the looks on their faces?"

"Priceless!" Duo agreed, wiping his eyes. He's started cracking up at the first screeching halt.

"Well, boys, that takes care of our tag-alongs. Wanna come home with me?"

"On a first date?" Duo gasped in mock horror.

"What can I say? I'm confident."

"Well, I'll have you know, I'm not the type to be won over that easily!"

"Oh, really?" Rae laughed. "Well, we'll see about that." She'd better wrap this up soon- fun and harmless as the banter was, Yuy looked about ready to do some damage. Jealousy really was a cute look on him... "Anyway, once we get there, you can contact your own mentors. They'll tell you I'm the genuine article, and my Gundam oughta finish the job."

For the first time, the other two looked at her with a little less suspicion in their eyes. They hadn't lost it in the base, for all that they had worked together- that had been more of a forced alliance. They hadn't had a choice in cooperating with her, but that didn't mean that they trusted her. Now, for the first time, they were beginning to.

Duo declined to comment on the lessening of tensions in the air, but he did begin to talk. "Man, seeing you meet the others is going to be a stitch! I mean, I doubt Trowa will crack and expression, and Quatre will be all nice and welcoming, but Wufei! Wuffles is going to have an apoplexy! Oh this is going to be priceless!..."

Rae tuned out of the ramble, remembering the last two in the little group she was irrevocably tying herself to. First, Pilot 04. Quatre Raberba Winner. Another unlikely Pilot. He was the son of the head of Winner Inc., and his father had been one of the leading pacifists before he had been killed in an OZ plot. Though the relationship between father and son had been strained at the time, due to Quatre's decision to fight in the war, the results of that had pretty much scared the shit out of everyone.

But if what H said was to be trusted, that was an abnormal reaction brought on by the death of someone close to him. According the to file Lady A had gotten from H on him, he was normally a very sweet and kind person. He was also really, really, _really_ loaded, and took care of most of the financing needed by the Gundam team, as well as providing several of the safe houses they used. But his money wasn't the only reason for Quatre being a Pilot. The small blond Arabian was a genius when it came to tactics and strategy. He was even better then Heero, though not by much. And he wasn't exactly bad at the combat part of the job, either, and could easily hold his own in a space-fight. Personal combat was a little iffy, but he could defend himself better then most.

And, of course, there was a very close bond with Pilot 03. It might even be love- she didn't know yet. S didn't care about it one way or another, and H seemed to think it was good for the pair of them. They were slightly more accepting then J when it came to 'their' Pilots developing attachments and feelings.

And finally, Chang Wufei. Pilot 05, of Chinese descent. His was a most interesting history, according to O's file on him- and he'd probably be the hardest pilot to convince of her abilities. Not because of any trust he might or might not bestow on her, but simply because of her gender. Having gone through some of his past, Rae had decided that she really couldn't blame him for his attitudes.

That didn't mean she wasn't going to get a certain amount of enjoyment out of crunching them into dust.

But as far as his skills went, Chang was a warrior. Give him a battle, and he would carefully weigh both sides and fight for the one that he felt most right. In a fight- with either Gundams or just hand-to-hand- he might even top Heero in skill; the two were about equal there, anyway. His strengths also included the ability to sift through a great deal of information in a short amount of time to reach a relevant conclusion. It came from the scholar path he had followed before becoming a warrior. The Pilots used this ability as a filter for a lot of what their informants and other information sources brought in.

Rae tuned back in to Duo's chatter, through with her musings for the moment. After concluding that she hadn't missed anything of importance (he seemed to be gloating over something), she looked back at the road.

"Hey, guys," she called after a few minutes, interrupting Duo's monologue. "We're almost there."

(x)(x)(x)(x)(x)

A/N: And there you have it. I think you lot will like what's going to happan at the safe house... but that's geting ahead of myself. I really hope you like this chapter, everyone- it was a fun one to write! And coming up with gadets for my Pilot 06 is one of the things I do while in math class. Certianly makes the day more exciting. Um, I want to say a few things before the notes... and the first one is this: Don't be fooled by that 'sweetheart' that Rae uses. She only uses pet names like that when she is a) seriously annoyed but hiding it, b) trying to be deliberatly provoking, or c) playing a character that uses pet names often.

Second, I would like to say something about the spelling of Quatre's name. Not even the officials know how to spell it! I own several of the GW mangas, and there's two different spellings for his middle name in there. I used the one that came up more frequently, so I hope it's 'officially' right.

Lastly, I was looking through a baby names book for character name ideas, and I stumbled across an entry on the name 'Rae.' In it, it included what the name meant. Anyone want to try and guess? I'll tell you what it was in my next update.

And now, notes to my few but faithful revieweres!

kidishcaresh:  
Thank you! Sorry I haven't updated for a bit, but I hope you like this chapter! I'm doing a special this week: every single fic that I have is getting updated, bar none! (Catslaugh: _Wow, all five of them..._) Shut up! You're one of my muses, it's your fault if I don't have all that many fics! ::ahem:: Sorry about that little rant there... Anyway, thank you for reviewing!

gundam06serenity:  
Forget liked, I LOVED the review. And if you're updating, do _Shinigami Servants, Guardian Wing, Black Rose Riders_, too. I read it, and absolutely fell in love with it- I hope you got my review of it. Back on topic... I did intend Rae to be a bit like Duo, at least as far as... looseness? non-militaryism? was conerned- and I said in the third chapter, they are going to be really good friends. No pairing there, though- I think I've already made it clear who Duo's going to end up with... :snicker: The boys are fun to play with. And yes, Treize will be here, though he won't show up for a long while. I'm actually going to make him fairly decent. I'm glad to get you back in here! It's true that there's a lot of god-awful stuff running around, but there's a lot of truely gorgeous stories out there as well- the problem is finding them. And I always write notes to my rewiewers- I want them to know that I appreaciate them very, very, very much. ::watches as ego purrs happily:: Very, _very_ much. And she _will_ fall for someone, that someone will be a guy, and I'm not telling you any more. Have fun guessing!

Windy River:  
As soon as I can- but this week, EVERYTHING is being updated, so I think you'll be happy!

chibi luci:  
LONG REVIEW! ::glom:: YAY! No, she didn't spend time at a circus... she might refer to the people who knew her in the past as being only actors, but she'd be being sarcastic, so no luck there. Ommir Hyrat was more of a side player in her history, but something like that did happen to her, if not the way you put it. She wasn't raped, I'll say that much. Ommir's about 30, now, I'd guess, and yeah, if you can think of a sexual vice, he's probably got a bit of it somewhere in him. Bastard. Lady A found/met Rae about two years before the war, which would make my girl about 15 when they met. She wasn't the sporodic additon Trowa was; she _was_ raised with something in mind, but that something wasn't a soilder. And no, nothing like a botched mission got her into it. Her disguise skills are something of an accident of her training, actually- or something her teachers never intended to be put to use that way. Playing with the boys is so fun... I had more fun with them in this chapter- and then there's my other fics... but they're soooo _cute_! I can't resist. Rae's interested in them becuase one of the things she was trained to do was to note any and all human reactions around her. It's just part of who she is to be a busybody, I guess. G might know about Duo's crush, but J doesn't. Like Rae said, he'd thow a fit (bastard...). If the other docters know, they don't care, because it doesn't affect their own protege. She and Wufei will be good friends (eventually... it's going to take a LOT of time, that one...) but not a pair. I've got someone else in mind for her- and him. ::grin:: For the options... maybe some type of mixture of B and C... with a large dash of D (which is Rae choosing to fight against the Alliance for her own reasons and the Lady providing a handy method of doing so) thrown in. And I don't know about her Gundam's shape yet- it's just that Rae thinks of it as 'female,' kinda like Quatre thinks of Sandrock as 'male.' She might feel a bit of a persona from it, but it's more of a reflection of herself than anything else. And I think that naming their planes or other machines is a trait all fly-boys (or girls) share about their 'babies.' I've yet to hear of one that didn't have _some_ type of affection for their 'mount.' I think, in response to the 'death' question, Rae'd tell you someone close to her died, but again, she'd be using a metaphor then. And you picked up one of the hints (a rather big one, actually) with the aristocrats... she does have some roots there. Though she'd hate to admit it, and it will take a long time to come out in the fic. I hope you liked the chapter!

And that's a wrap, folks! I'll see ya next week, depending on which stories of mine you read and which ones I update (which will be all of them, so it's a moot point). See yas!  



	6. Gundams

Major announcement! Starting next week, this story will be known as Gundam 06 Mirage, and not Pilot 06 Mirage. It's a little more appropriate for the story. Don't be confused, people! Sorry if this chapter is a little short, but I had major computer issues this week, and I wrote most of it right before uploading it. And now, I'll see you at the bottom!

**Chapter 6:  
Gundams**

The house that Rae pulled up at didn't look like much- a small cabin in the woods, the kind you could rent from almost anywhere. It was secluded, securely backed by a cliff on one side, a river on the other, and a forest behind. All in all it was a fairly decent safe house.

There was just one problem.

"There's no place here to store a Gundam," Duo commented as Heero got out of the car. He used looking around at the scenery as a way to try and distract himself from the piercing disappointment of Heero's thigh losing contact with his. All good things must come to an end...

Heero, too, was looking around and trying not to show how much he wanted to prolong the touch. What he could see seemed good indications of a fairly professional fighter- no identifying marks on the cabin, isolated enough to make it secure, good natural boundaries, and several exits and entrances from any given point. It was what he didn't see- a Gundam or space a Gundam could be stored- that worried him. If there wasn't a Gundam or a place it could be hidden, then it might mean that Carrow wasn't as genuine as she appeared.

And she knew too much about them to get away.

Putting off the decision until he could learn more, Heero turned around to start unloading the various car parts from the back seat.

Rae, knowing the gist of what was running through the other's heads at the lack of a Gundam, calmly stretched and jumped out of the Jeep. She didn't blame them for the suspicions- truth be told, she would have been worried and suspicious herself if they had trusted her automatically. They'd learn soon enough that she had told them the truth.

"There's spare rooms and spare beds on the first floor," she informed her passengers, moving to help with the last of the unloading. "Pick any spot you like but the bedroom closest to the front- that's mine. Kitchen's in the back of the first floor, and upstairs is used for storage and workrooms. Bathrooms are fairly easy to find, and if you're desperate, ask. Any questions before I go change?"

"How does Santa Claus get around the world in one night?"

"Any questions?" Rae repeated. "No? Right, I'll be in my room changing." She started to move off toward the front door. "Oh," she added, turning back. "You see that clearing in back of the place? Don't wander there- it could be detrimental to your health."

Without giving the other two a chance to respond, Rae disappeared inside the safe house.

(x)(x)(x)(x)(x)

Duo and Heero quickly began to hide and pack the various car parts. They also took the opportunity to talk while Rae was out of earshot.

"The lack of a Gundam doesn't support her story," Heero stated.

"Not seeing a Gundam doesn't mean it isn't here." Duo countered. "The whole point of a hiding spot is to keep the Gundam out of sight, after all. Otherwise, you might as well paint 'Yo, OZ! Gundam Pilot right here! Shoot at me!' in neon on a huge banner and hang it over your head."

"We know very little about her and her goals. She still could be part of a trap," Heero pointed out, ignoring the asides. They weren't the point of the conversation, and if he let himself be sidetracked, he could very easily get lost in his own rising feelings for the Pilot next to him.

"We know that she's good at what she does, that she's got an ungodly amount of information on us, that she _probably_ has a backer similar to ours, and that she claims to want to help us. Beyond that- not a clue," Duo rattled of cheerfully. "We don't know if she also wants to blow our heads off, if she thinks that OZ has a chance of winning, if she thinks that Relena's pink obsession is wonderful, or even if she thinks that ketchup actually tastes good on all things." He paused to consider. "All that would be horrendously bad of course, but that last would be worst. Ketchup was not meant to go on all dishes. I mean, you're smothering the food that way! Think-"

Heero cut off the long ramble, knowing that it wouldn't stop by itself. "We need more information."

Duo abandoned his train of thought to give the Pilot next to him (the very, very, very sexy Pilot, his hormones interrupted) one of his trademark manic grins. "And we know how to get that, don't we? Go where we're not supposed to."

Pilot 02 immediately set off for the clearing in the back of the cabin, knowing that Pilot 01 would be right on his heels.

(x)(x)(x)(x)(x)

Once Rae had gotten into her room, she'd immediately stripped off the offending skirt and tank top. The top actually hadn't been to bad, but it's style and high quality had brought back memories that she really didn't feel like dealing with. The skirt, now that had just been awful.

She quickly stashed the costume away, and dug out the clothes that made up her usual outfit. This consisted of a deep purple tank top, this one of cotton and with much thicker straps, and black capris. Her shoes were sensible Teva-type sandals that would protect her feet and wouldn't look out of place in most areas.

Finished with her changes, the newest Pilot headed back to the front. Seeing that the other two were gone, she paused. Where would they be?

Where had she told them not to go?

Barely pausing, she turned and headed for the back yard.

(x)(x)(x)(x)(x)

Duo looked over the yard in puzzlement. There wasn't a booby-trap he could find, there weren't any convenient secret doors to an information vault, there wasn't even any worn paths in the grass to say where the girl might go. Why the fuck had she told them to stay away from the area?

From his spot just at the beginning of the cliff's shadow, he watched Heero work his way up the riverbank. Didn't look like there was anything there, either. With a sigh, he turned to go and lean against the cliff.

**:KONG:**

"What the fucking Hell was that!?" Duo bellowed, rubbing his forehead from his new position on the ground. He'd walked strait into something- _but nothing was in front of him_.

"What happened?" Heero demanded, having darted to Duo's side when he heard the noise.

"I walked into something," Duo grumbled, glaring at the area before him.

"...there's nothing there." Duo heard quite clearly the _idiot_ that could easily have been tacked onto the end of that statement.

"Yeah, that's what I thought, too," he informed the Japanese pilot, getting to his feet. "That's why I tried walking through there in the first place. I don't enjoy repeatedly banging my head against hard walls." -You're denseness non-withstanding,- he added silently.

"I warned you!"

The two male Pilots snapped around as Rae jogged around the side of the house, grinning. "You can't say I didn't warn you."

"You know about this?" questioned Heero, gesturing to the apparently empty air in front of him- but the motion was brought up short as he hand clanged into that empty air.

"Yup," Rae agreed cheerfully. She moved to stand beside the other Pilots, directly facing whatever was causing the problem. Enunciating very clearly, she spoke to the air before her. "Deactivate Chameleon Mode."

Immediately, a large portion of the space in the cliff's shadow began to ripple and waver. Starting at the bottom, and moving to the top, the ripple faded out, leaving behind-

"Boys, meet Gundam 06. She goes by the name of Mirage."

The robot in front of them wasn't built on quite the same lines as Gundams 01-05. It was shorter, and a little sleeker; not so much of the box construction that made up the others. It also was one color, through and through. There were no lighter bits, no brightly painted spots- everything was a deep blue, only a few shades up from black.

Rae watched as Heero and Duo struggled to get over their shock. "That should answer questions about my Gundam, I assume?"

(x)(x)(x)(x)(x)

A/N: Well, that's Rae's Gundam... who likes it? I'll be explaining more about it next chapter, so stick around if you're curious. And who guessed what Rae's name meant? It means 'deer' or 'doe.' I think that isn't a very good description of her, but hey, the name itself fits... Neway, thanks to my reviewers!

chibi luci:  
Sorry if I spoiled anything- it's my policy to asnwer questions, if not with anything specific. It sometimes helps me nail down what I want to have happen next. I'll make a note to have you be the exception in the future, but don't stop asking your questions; they help the same way that answering the questions does. The story will have the more specific answers as time goes on. Sorry, but most of my chapters are short- you heard the rant in Kitsune Twins, I think- and the short chapters helps me with the updating time. Thank you about the gadget... it was fun to do. And I'll skip the questions... And your drama fetish should be fed during this fic, don't worry, There's going to be much-much drama of many kinds. I've never watched DBZ, because my house doesn't have cable :gasps of shock: so I don't really know much about it. Your welcome for responding- I'm always glad to talk to a good reviewer! Many, many thanks for the review!

Windy River:  
Often as I can, like always. I'm really happy that you like this story! Thank you for reviewing!

kidshcaresh:  
Hey, to each their own pace. It's cool. My own computer melted this week... I swear, the thing is infested with evil imp-demons who take sadistic joy in my misery. Thank you for reviewing, and I hope you like the chapter!

gundam06serenity:  
No, you've techinicly alrealy had hints. And I told you it was a guy, didn't I? I really like Treize and Zechs, too- when I don't want to smack them upside the head for anything. But the love wins out most often. Rae is going to have much fun messing with Fei-chan's mind :giggle: I've already got the scene layed out in my mind. I think you're going to love with it. Thank you for the compliments on my gadgets- I've got lots more for her, too, her Gundam being a good example. Wait til you see all that IT can do... And I know that she's being talkative- she's trying to get the two to, if not trust her, at least realize that she won't betray them. Only way to do that is to tell them and show them... besides, I think she likes bragging. :giggle: Heero is suspisious, but less so now that there's a Gundam. Hope you liked the update, and I'll see ya next chapter!

crazy-lil-nae-nae:  
Thank you, thank you, thank you! Thank you for reading the fic, thank you for liking it, and thank you for reviewing! Not many people like sixth-pilot fics... so I'm always gald to get encouragement with this one! Thanks again, and I hope you liked the chapter!

Well folks, that's all! Catch ya later!


	7. Contacts and Explinations

Hey, people. I'm back on the computer after being kicked off for the whole of Christmas break- congradulate me! Here, as a celebration of the event, is chapter 7 of the newly renamed Gundam 06 Mirage. Hope the name change didn't throw you... Neway, read on!**  
**

**Chapter Seven:  
Contacts and Explinations**

Rae's grin widened as she watched the other two get over their shock (faster then before- they must be getting used to it) and start to study Gundam 06. Mirage was shorter then the others by a good ten feet, and noticeably slimmer, as well. There was less of the block construction that characterized Gundams 01 through 05- the various joints and pieces connected smoothly without many hard corners. And the deep blue of its coloring reflected very little light back, even considering that it was standing in the cliff's shadow.

Rae gave them another few seconds to stare, then turned back to her Gundam. "Active Chameleon Mode," she stated, and the Gundam shimmered back into invisibility.

-Not quite invisibility,- Duo realized after a moment of studying the area in front of him. Now that he knew where the Gundam was, he could see its edges, very faintly. But it wasn't something that anyone would see if they weren't looking for it.

"There's communications equipment inside, so you can talk to the others and to the Docs, if you want," Rae stated. "Also food, cloths, beds, and toilets, and showers- though not necessarily in that order or in good condition."

"Heh, it's better then where we came from. _That_ little shit-hole barely had room to move two steps in any direction, and the closest thing to indoor plumbing was what the rats did on the floor," Duo began to move towards the cabin, Heero a pace behind and silent.

"Charming, I'm sure," Rae drawled in a perfect high society voice. "You _must_ invite me over some time."

"Gundam 06 had a highly radical design when compared to Gundam's 01, 02, 03, 04, and 05. Why?"

Rae broke off the bantering with Duo to glance over at Heero. "Because her purpose isn't quite the same as Gundam's 01, 02, 03, 04, and 05," she informed him. "Further, Mirage was designed after Wing, Deathscythe, Heavyarms, Sandrock, and Shenlong- sorry, Nataku. And the person who designed her had different specialties, ideas, and made no move to consult the five Doctors as she designed and built it. _Of course_ she looks freaking different- she is."

"Different purpose?"

Rae sighed. Reassuring as the suspicion was, this was getting slightly old. "Part of my overall mission- I promise I'll tell you _all_ about it after you've contacted J and he's told you that I won't fucking rig your pillow to blow while you get your damn beauty rest. In the meantime, check your freaking paranoia at the door."

By this time, the trio had reached the door of the safe house and went inside. Out of habit, Heero and Duo scanned the room as they entered, looking for escape routes, weapons, and anything that might be out of place. Rae noticed, but didn't say anything- she'd done the same thing.

Once everyone's mutual paranoia had been satisfied, Rae moved over to one of the doors that went off from the main room. "Comuni-junk's in here- call who and what you will, and order pizza while you're at it." With that, she strolled over to another door and disappeared into it, leaving the two boys alone.

Duo blinked after her. "Think she was kidding about the pizza?"

"Hn." Heero was already deep in the communication equipment.

"Right," Duo muttered. "Translating from Heero-grunt-speech: Insignificant. Get your ass in here and help. Natch." He moved after Heero.

(x)(x)(x)(x)(x)

Half an hour later, Pilots 01 and 02 left the room with a semi-expanded idea of who and what the new addition to their group was. J had informed them that 'Lady A' really existed, that she really had sent another Pilot, and that there really was a sixth Gundam. Not in so many words, of course- most of the communication had consisted of a rant about how 'that aggravating, immature _female_ didn't see fit to inform me of this bit of vital information.' Duo had been about to make a remark questioning whether J was _sure_ that O had been the one who trained Wufei, but thought better of it. This was someone who was involved in giving him life-threatening jobs as a matter of course- there was no need to tempt the man any further.

G had been a little more helpful- he seemed resigned about the whole thing, and had muttered something about 'should've expected it.' He'd also sent them what information he'd managed to get from this 'Lady A' about Pilot and Gundam 06. It didn't amount to much- just Rae's name and description, the fact that she was a master of disguise, and a description of her Gundam. Nothing about her Gundam's abilities or anything from their past experiences. The only bit of _new_ information from that file was the fact that Pilot 06 also possessed very high rankings in hand-to-hand combat, but there was nothing specific about that. Taken together, it told them little more then they already knew- it merely confirmed that she wasn't as OZ trap.

When they had left the room, the first thing they saw was smoke. Both of them instantly fell into one battle of their battle patterns, pressing up against opposite walls and pulling out their guns. Where there was smoke there was usually was a fire... and with this job, where there was a fire, there usually was an attack.

This, however, was no attack- when they reached the kitchen at the back of the house, where the smoke was coming from, they saw the real source: a pan that had been left on the stove.

Heero and Duo stared at it and put their weapons away. What was going on?

"Hey, what's- oh, _fuck_!" Rae darted out from behind them and grabbed the pan off the stove, then opened a window to wave the smoke out of. "Fuck, fuck, _fuck_!" Turning to her audience she aimed a glare at the snickering Duo. "One comment, and I promise that you'll be walking _very_ gingerly for a long time to come! I _can_ cook..." she added moodily, redirecting her glare at the pan. "...as long as it comes from a can. This was supposed to be eggs, which I'm normally okay at."

"So what do you do on missions, eat bark?"

"No, I eat freshly caught rabbit that somehow manages to be simultaneously raw and burned."

"Wow. Really?"

"No, idiot. I store canned food and some damned nutrient bars in Mirage."

"You have storage space in your Gundam?" Heero interrupted. He was exerting a decent part of his control to stop the envy he felt at the easy banter and friendship that had sprung up between Duo and Rae. It was something that he knew instinctively he'd never be able to emulate.

"Yeah, more then in yours, I think- you two will be able to ride with me in the cockpit, but it'll be kinda cramped."

Duo restrained himself from grinning like a loon at this news. While grinning was in his character, there wasn't really a good reason in that sentence to spark a grin of that size- he really did _not_ want to explain that it was because he was going to be pressed up against Heero for an indefinite length of time.

Rae noticed the look of suppressed glee from Duo, but ignored it in favor of going on about her Gundam. "I promised you two I'd tell you about Mirage after you knew I wasn't about to try and turn you into OZ burgers, and I never break my promises. Whaddaya want to know?"

"The different purpose?" Heero prompted.

"Right." Rae leaned back against the counter, crossing her arms as she spoke. "Gundams 01 through 05 were made, first and foremost, with the idea of blasting things in mind. They differ in speed and firepower, as well as weapons and other specialties, but their basic purpose is the same: to turn what's in front of them into so much freaking slag.

"Gundam 06, my Mirage, is different. While she's fully capable of dealing some fucking serious damage to whatever's around her, that isn't her primary focus. She's made to _hide_. Nobody and nothing can detect her in the sky, thanks to her jamming abilities, and you saw her camouflage bit. She can sneak past almost anything, which for a robot over two stories high is a fucking good trick. She's just under Deathscythe when it comes to speed, and her firepower's about even with Sandrock's- but she doesn't have any powerful distance weapons. She wasn't made as a distance fighter. Does that answer some questions?"

"How'd she turn out so different?" Duo questioned, his attention drawn back from happy fantasies of being pressed up against Heero in the cock pit, in the bed, anywhere... -_Bad_ Duo!- he chided himself, catching his thoughts before they wandered off again. -Focus!-

"Well, for one, Lady A has long believed that the Docs are suffering from severe testosterone poisoning, and that the big, bad Gundams were a result. Boys and their toys, and all that. Further, she's a great believer in the whole 'mind over matter' bit- subtly over force. She didn't consult the Docs once during the construction, just made it as she pleased. Finally, her specialties are way different then any of the other's."

"Specialties?"

"You know- O focuses on using machines to help and further martial arts and other such shit, G is pure mechanics, H just kinda teaches his knowledge without delving deeper into it- stuff like that. Lady A is _really_ interested in how technology effects and interacts with the world around us. That's how she came up with the camouflage- there's cameras looking in every angle from Mirage, and they program the screen-skin on her to look like what's on her other side. She also spends a lot of time on machines that do different things to the human body."

Duo wanted to ask more about those machines- they sounded like something he should try to avoid- but Heero asked another question before he could get out the request.

"Why are you volunteering so much information?"

"Two reasons," Rae smirked. "One, the more you know about me, the less suspicious you'll be because you won't be able to imagine all sorts of fucking horrible things about me when you've got the facts." Duo almost chocked. Heero imagining? If only... "Two," Rae continued, "I promised you I'd tell you what you want to know, and I always keep my promises."

A glace at Heero's face told Duo that Pilot 01 was skeptical of this (after all this time, he'd learned to read Heero, a bit) but Duo didn't doubt her. He recognized the look in her eyes- it was the one that was in his own when he told people that he never lied. "One final question," he spoke up. "What was that about an 'overall mission?'"

"Ah-hah, the thief picks up the most valuable gem!" Rae cackled. "It's the eventual goal of my dressing up in so many bloody costumes. My job is to get as much information about the leaders- of OZ, of the Alliance, of Romafeller, of anyone of influence, really- as I possible can. But I'm only supposed to focus on the ones who're actually _good_ at what they do, or the ones that are war hawks, and leave the idiots and peace advocates alone. The eventual goal is to use the information to force smarter ones to surrender or give up- failing that, to start personal attacks on them and drive them absolutely up-the-wall fucking crazy. The game plan is a complete and total break down of OZ leadership.

"That type of work means I'll be in cities and other places where it's be freaking impossible to hide a 'traditional' Gundam- but Mirage is perfect.

"And that, I think, concludes this game of Twenty Questions," Rae stated, standing up from her position against the counter. "I'll take you over to your own safe-house tomorrow. In the mean-time, do either cook?"

(x)(x)(x)(x)(x)

A/N: Well, everyone, that was it. Hope ya'll liked it... and on to my reviewer notes!

gundam06serenity:  
Thanks for the compliment on the Gundam (Mirage is fun to write). My goal was to make everything about this new pilot DIFFERENT- and how original would she be without an different Gundam? And I'm sorry- but PINK? Who the hell is doing their decorating, Relena? Gundams are supposed to strike fear into the hearts of Ozzie flunkies, not send them into fits of hysterical giggles! And what I meant about the Gundam was that they'll know at least part of her story is true, and that makes them more inclined to beleive the rest. Besides- they've got a long history with Zechs, and they don't with her. I'm really sorry if Duo seemed stupid- that was NOT my intention! He was supposed to be chattering, going on about nothing. Man thanks for the feedback though- it really helps. She'll be messing with Fei-chans head soon, don't worry! Hope you liked the chapter!

M-python-girl:  
NOO! Don't sic the fanatics on me, I beg you! Here's an update, see? I hope you like it, and thanks for reviewing!

Windy River:  
I'm not really good with the soon part for this fic... but here's an update. Hope you like it!

Disturbed And Hostile:  
Thank you, thank you, and thank you! This chapter was information dropping, too- there might be a more of the same in the next chapter, but that'll be about it. And I don't mind long reviews- to the contrary, I LOVE 'em! So thanks to Melissa, TPT, and Dave, and I hope you liked the latest chapter as well.

kidishcaresh:  
Thank you. A school comupter? Lucky- the computers in my own school ban this and most other fanfic sites. :sigh: And I don't know enough about hacking to get around it, so I just have to put up with it. I hope you manage(d) to get the chapters done, and thanks for reviewing!

chibi luci:  
I hope that this is enough content to inspire reivews... :giggle: The chapters of this story are about medium length, unlike the ones in Kitsune Twins. I agree with you full heartedly that the original Gundams should be a little more... ah... _blendy_ in their color scheme. I mean, bright red? In a guriella war? The 'hiding under one's nose' comment gave me an interesting idea. but you'll see it later on. I think Wufei's reaction is going to be more interesting then Trowa's but it'll be cool all the same. Thanks for the review, and I hope you liked the chapter!

Th-t-th-t-that's all folks! See ya next time!


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